


Fix the broken

by Miss_Kitten



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, platonic fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10451361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Kitten/pseuds/Miss_Kitten
Summary: Reader shows up at Malfoys’ mansion after not having heard from Lucius for a while. She’s there just in time to prevent him from harming himself and stays to take care of him during his mourning.





	

You hear a quiet scratching on the window; you turn your head from a soup you are stirring and see your owl. With an envelope you gave her still in her beak.

Frowning, with confusion and concern running through your body, you open the window and let your owl in, taking the letter from her. Your pet leans into your hand and so you stroke her head, smiling.

“No one let you in, darling?” you coo and your owl screeches, expressing her complaint. You scratch her a little and she squeals, making you let out a small laugh.

“I’ll go there. I’m worried, you see. I don’t think they left England. He would’ve told me, I suppose.”

You fall silent after that, focusing on your meal. Your owl warbles and then flies away to her favorite spot, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Lucius was surely in the Manor. You would’ve known if they left the country or moved to a different place. You work in the Ministry, nothing happens without It knowing, even despite the hard times you are in.

Actually, that was how you met Malfoys. Over ten years ago, the Ministry received an information about numerous magical items that were illegally spread around. The Minister ordered that Aurors would be paired with workers of Department of  Magical Equipment Control and sent in the field to investigate whether said families were in a possession of any kind of unregistered magical items.

You were sent to Malfoys’ Manor to search for them. Lucius was utterly displeased by being suspected of such a thing but Narcissa patiently showed you around the huge house, while little Dracon watched you curiously as you waved your wand around for magical objects to show.

You had found nothing illegal and so you thanked for their cooperation. Lucius was still resentful by being visited by an Ministry’s hounds, as he called you, and the next day you saw him in Ministry, waiting for a meeting with the Minister himself.

Few chance meetings later, he invited you for a dinner in their mansion, saying that Narcissa would like to get to know you, curious about your work and you, in overall.

You went there and that was how it started – despite differences in your beliefs and social status, you managed to form a friendship, based on respect and, surprisingly, similar interests with Narcissa.

Your heart almost broke when you found out that Narcissa died in the Battle, believed to be punished for her son’s and husband’s disobedience. You can’t even begin to imagine how hurt Lucius and Dracon are. The Malfoys appeared to be cold and emotionless but you saw that there was love between them, even if they weren’t able to express it.

And it seems that Lucius was in a dire need of a friend. You haven’t seen him since the Battle, you haven’t even spotted him or Draco in Hogwarts when you were sent to help with restoring the castle. They must’ve fled during or just after the Battle ended.

You couldn’t bring yourself to visit Lucius, justifying yourself with work and personal stuff, but the truth is, you are scared of what you may find there. You’re afraid that you won’t be able to help him, to comfort him. That you’ll fail as a friend.

On the other hand, however, not offering him your support is failing as well.

With a sigh, you turn the stove off and pour the soup you’ve just finished cooking into an easier to carry pot. You fish out your wand and wave it, apparating in front of the door to the Manor.

You knock loudly, but there’s no sound from the other side. Only silence, heavy and terrifying. After knocking few more times, you decide to let yourself in. You push the door open, sliding in and looking around for any sign of presence.

There’s a dim light coming from the living room – you head there, careful not to drop the pot you’re carrying. You assume there’s not more than two or three candles lit there, hence the almost non-existent light in otherwise shadowy rooms and corridors.

“Lucius?!” you call as you enter the room and you find him nowhere to be seen. He must be somewhere here, why would the candles be lit?

“It’s me, Y/N.” you try again, hoping that when he hears familiar voice he’ll come out from whatever spot he’s occupying right now. Placing the pot on the large wooden table, you mutter a spell and all the light in the room light up, pushing away the darkness from it.

And that’s when you spot him, and it makes your heart sink to your stomach.

Lucius is curled in a far corner of the room, agony written on his face as he presses his wand to his temple. His eyes are squeezed shut, his face paler than usual and only now you notice that he’s been crying.

Jumping into action, you wave your wand, performing an Expelliarmus spell and Lucius’s wand flies into the air and right into your hand.

“Why..?!” he whines miserably, covering his face with trembling hands and you hide both wands into a pocket of your coat before you rush to him. “Why did you stop me? I wanted to do this, I wanted to…”

“Lucius, believe me, you didn’t. This is not a way, can you hear me?” you mutter as you wrap your arms around his shaking form, holding him firmly as he sobs.

“I’m here now, I’ll help you. Forgive me for not coming sooner, but now I’m here for you.”

“You can’t help me… Y/N, it hurts, it hurts so much” he mumbles between the sobs and you almost tear up yourself, but you know you can’t. You need to be strong – Lucius needs it.

“I know and I cannot take away the pain. But it will go away, I promise. Not entirely, but it will hurt less with every passing day.”

“How can you know that?” he asks, lifting his agony-filled eyes at you and you smile sadly.

“I buried both my parent, remember? I know what I’m saying. Now, how about we get you all cleaned up? I’ll draw you a bath, alright?”

Lucius doesn’t say a word, only nods and lets you set him on his feet and lead him to one of guest rooms. You assume he doesn’t want to be in the bedroom he shared with Narcissa.

You motion his to sit on the bed while you start the water and watch it fill the bathtub. You add some bubble bath and once you’re pleased with it, you go back to bedroom to find Lucius sitting just as you left him.

“It’s my fault…” he whispers as you approach him and reach to the front of his black button up. He stares blindly at the wall before him, not really seeing you.

“It is not your fault,” you state softly as you push the shirt from his shoulders, gripping his forearms to pull him to a standing position.

“It is, Y/N. I’ve failed. I’ve failed my wife and now, because of my weakness, she is dead.”

“And you think killing yourself will make it better? Do you think Narcissa would want it? You cannot give up, Lucius, you have a son to take care of,” you say, unbuckling the belt and unzipping his trousers. Lucius stops you before you can take them off and does it himself.

“Dracon is angry at me. He blames me for what happened.”

“Did he say such a thing?”

“No,” Lucius replies and you give him a reassuring smile.

“See? Draco needs you, he needs his father. You have somebody to live for, Lucius, you cannot leave him.”

He says nothing when you take him to the bathroom and turn around to give him at least a bit of privacy as he strips himself off the last piece of clothing. You hear the water splash as he slides in so you come to the bathtub and take a sponge, crouching by the tub.

Lucius is silent as you wash him, not even uttering a sound. Any bit of shame is long forgotten, neither of you thinks of it – you are here to support him and Lucius realizes it. He doesn’t complain when you tilt him head back to wash his hair, silently allowing you to take care of him.

And you can only hope that it’ll be enough.

When you’re done, you stand up and offer him a towel, walking out of the bathroom to grant him privacy. You busy yourself with preparing a clean outfit and leave it on the bed, waiting outside the guest room for Lucius.

He exits it few minutes later.

“I brought a soup. Do you want to eat?”

“Yes, please,” he mutters and you take his hand, leading him down the stairs, to the living room. From the kitchen, you bring two bowls and spoons, magically warming up the meal and pouring it to bowls.

Lucius sits still by the table, looking at steaming fluid with indifference.

“I- I can’t-“

“Let me,” you offer and take the spoon, feeding him with the soup. At first, he looks ashamed but as you carry on, he eats with more appetite. You take it as a good sing.

When you’re finished, you clean the dishes and come back to the living room, finding Lucius sitting on a sofa by the cold fireplace. You wave your wand and the logs blaze with fire, illuminating the room with an orange glow.

Carefully, you walk to Lucius and he wipes at his cheeks quickly, lowering his head.

“Lucius,” you start gently, sitting next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Allow yourself to grief. There’s nothing to be ashamed about in suffering and mourning. It’s natural and no one will judge you for that.”

“Stay, please,” he asks, his voice broken and pleading and you nod, pulling him into you embrace when he gives in and starts crying. You hold him through it, rubbing his back and stroking your fingers through his long hair, giving as much comfort as you can.

He does not resemble the proud man, with his head high and a grimace of displeasure on his face, when he clings to you as if his life depends on it. He’s no longer a determined wizard, looking down at everybody when he stops sobbing, exhausted and broken.

Surely, no one would recognize the arrogant, haughty Lucius Malfoy in a man that is now grasping on your legs and laying practically at your feet, in a silent beg of you to not leave him. He’s fast asleep now, his deep steady breaths lulling you to sleep as well and so you close your eyes and allow yourself to rest.

_____

Draco tries to not make a sound when he opens the front door and steps into the house. He’s surprised, almost shocked when he hears a crackling of the fire. He left in the early morning, having grown sick of the coldness and silence in the Manor.

He was reluctant at first, when Harry Potter offered his help after Draco’s mother died. Draco didn’t want it. He was sure that he was able to deal with it himself but time showed that he needed someone to see him through it. And with his father shutting himself from outside world, lost in his own grief, Draco eventually reached out to Harry.

He quietly comes closer to the living room and peaks in it. A small smile appears on his face when he sees you. He’s grateful that you’re here and suddenly he’s convinced that things will get better. You’ll help his father, you’ll bring him back to life.

Your presence alone is enough.


End file.
